Purpose: The paper explores the nature and facilitating conditions of “stewardship organizations,” that is, organizations in which stewardship behavior rather than principal–agent behavior defines the operative principles of management. Design/methodology/approach: The paper falls into...

Purpose: For firms that depend on personalized management as a key element of their competitive advantage, maintaining personalized management in the face of sustained growth presents a particular challenge. The purpose of this paper is to examine how firms in the Germanic Mittelstand have...

Purpose: Although resource dependence theory (RDT) has substantially deepened the understanding of the function and role of boards, no systematic review of this body of work has yet been undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize prior research on the strategically relevant...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop the hitherto unexplored concept of strategic discipline. Design/methodology/approach: Three fairly iconic firms of the Germanic Mittelstand (ALDI, Stihl and Hipp) are examined. The meaning and relevance of strategic discipline is derived....

Purpose: This paper aims to explore hidden wellsprings of risk-taking in family firms. Design/methodology/approach: The high tolerance for risk shown repeatedly by the famous family firm Hipp of Germany is documented. Three major risk-taking episodes at Hipp are examined. Findings:...

Purpose This paper aims to provide a novel way of thinking about firm internationalization. We offer a stylized view of family firms as internationalizers who choose to engage in “boundary-spanning” across global product markets while engaging in “boundary-buffering” to insulate...

Examining parallels in the long-term evolution of the German and US university systems, this paper formulates hypotheses about the rise and decline of university entrepreneurialism at the national level. Three macro-level antecedents of university entrepreneurialism are identified: (1)...